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Time and Space 03
This is chapter 3: The Box of Miramc22's fan fiction, Time and Space. ---- I wake up in a bed that wasn't mine. But it was now. It was my stupid bed in Sarah, Madison, and James' house. Stupid, stupid, stupid. I slowly climb down the stable ladder of the loft bed and my feet hit the warm, carpeted floor. I couldn't tell what time it was, due to my windowless bedroom, but I was no longer tired. I was probably the first one up this morning. I brushed through my long, blonde hair, and quickly put on whatever I could grab from my closet: an oversized blue Hollister hoodie, jean shorts, a plain red T-shirt, and tennis shoes. I sigh and touch my cold doorknob. I twist it and it opens, greeting me with daylight in my face. The kitchen, which I could see from the opposite side of the hallway, was bustling with activity. Sarah, Madison, James, and my dad all sat at the table. "How good of you to join us," Madison said sarcastically in her amazing British accent. "What time is it?" I ask, noticing that they were all drinking tea and eating weird finger foods. "It's high tea," Sarah said, gesturing to a chair at the head of the table. "High tea?" I ask, confused. Just... what? "High tea," Madison said, staring at me like I was an alien, which I probably was. "What's high tea?" I ask. "It's tea. Between anytime 5:00 to 7:00," Madison says, still staring at me, disgusted. "It's five?!" I exclaim. "Six in the afternoon. Get a clock, Elizabeth," Madison said, rolling her eyes at me. I uncomfortably sat down in the chair at the head of the table and muttered something stupid, like "Fine, I '''will." "Why do you drink tea?" I ask. "Why don't you drink tea?" Madison asked, taking a sip from her cup. "No, it's actually a meal of the day here," I say uneasily. "And it isn't in the New York?" She asked. "No, it isn't," I say. "It's two meals here. Afternoon tea is anywhere from four to six. High tea is anywhere from five to seven," Madison explained, setting down her cup of tea. She looked exactly what I'd expected any British person to look like while she was drinking tea. She was the same height as I was, and she had a skinny, strong body. She looked beautiful, honestly. She had long, dark hair, pale skin, a beautiful face, and crystal blue eyes. She was exactly the girl that I always envied and wished that I looked like: But no, I was Elizabeth. Plain, skinny, tall, Elizabeth. Not supermodel Elizabeth or ugly Elizabeth. Just plain Elizabeth. And it had always kind of been that way: just plain Elizabeth Carter. "Would you like some tea, Elizabeth?" Sarah asked, obviously trying to avoid an arising argument between me and Madison. She was staring dreamily at my dad. It wasn't like she was actually concerned if I wanted her tea or not. I bet that she would let me starve to death if that was what she really wanted. "No, thank you. I don't drink tea," I say. Madison snorted. "She wants to live in England, and she doesn't drink tea. What'd you think I've done, poisoned it?" Madison asked. "No, I don't drink tea. Do you have a problem with that?" I ask. "Obviously, I do. You can pack up your bags and go back to the New York, Elizabeth. Because you are not ''welcome here," Madison said, narrowing her crystal blue eyes at me. I wanted to cry again, but the tears didn't come. Instead, my face flushed with anger. "You come here the day before our camping trip. I wanted to be friends with you, but when I met you, I knew that wasn't an option. You insulted my mother and hurt me and my brother. Because you are a ''brat," Madison said. The words spit poison at me and made me hurt. "Leave, Carter, and don't come back." I had a lot of words to say, but for some reason I chose these. "What camping trip?" I ask. "A camping trip," Dad cut in. "It's annual. I've been on the last few, and it's great fun," he said. "The last two?" I ask. Dad's eyes didn't catch mine. "In the Epping Forest. You can have James' old tent," Sarah said. "When?" I ask. "Tonight. We're leaving in an hour," Sarah said. Madison had pretty much shut up, and she got up to go to her room. Not before stepping on my foot on the way out. "An hour?" I ask. I'd never been camping before. "And you can camp in the Epping Forest?" I ask. "Of course," Sarah said. "At least we do it. Now if you aren't going to have tea, go apologize to Madison and get ready. It's a three day trip, so bring whatever you need. I expect for you to be at the door by 7:20," Sarah said sternly. I was at a loss for words, so I said something stupid. "Do you bother to tell me anything?" And I got up out of my chair and walked away. It felt for a second like I had won, but of course, I didn’t. Madison, James, and Sarah would always win. ---- At 7:20 exactly, I met Sarah, Madison, James, and my dad at the front door to the apartment. I carried a backpack with some clean clothes and a shovel. I carried the large tent bag on my back, and we walked out of the apartment building and we all squeezed into a taxi. Everybody stared at me blankly. I wanted them to stop. They all looked like they had something rude to say, something rude about me. There wasn't a doubt in my mind, but I knew that I deserved every bit of whatever they had to say to me. I deserved it. The taxi arrived and drove us to the Epping Forest, which was about 40 minutes away from where the apartment building was. It was humid outside, and the ground was wetter from the rain yesterday. The taxi dropped us off and we walked deep into the woods until we found a clearing, which I assumed was where the family usually camped. It was clear of trees and a small fire pit stood in the center of the clearing. "Set up your tents," Sarah instructed me, Madison and James. Arthur and I will get a fire started," she said, looking at my dad dreamily again. Madison and James were still staring at me distastefully, but they turned their attention away from me to set up their own tents together. I looked at my tent like it was going to bite me. I wouldn't be surprised if it actually did. See, I've never been camping before, ever. I'd never really set up a tent, so I must have looked stupid to Madison and James as I wrestled the thick, blue heap of cloth called my tent. Madison sat inside of her bright pink tent while she laughed at me with James, who was in a dark green one next to her. They threw rocks, mulch, leaves, and sticks at me, and eventually I got my tent together in one piece. I got inside, zipped it shut, and picked the rocks, sticks, leaves, and dirt off of me. I sat in the tent and cried until it was dark out, totally emotional. But I cried quietly, because I didn't want to be yelled at for that. If Madison and James knew that I was crying, they would win, again. I didn't want them to see me cry. So, I cried about everything. About mom, about dad, about Sarah, about Madison, about James, about London, about England, about my life, about Elizabeth Carter, and how much I pitied her. The sun set and the fire was put out. The smell of smoke filled the air and everybody had said their goodnights, but there were no "Goodnight, Elizabeth"s tonight. I cried and cried until I cried myself to sleep. ---- I woke up in the middle of the night, calmed down, but I wasn't waking up because I heard a noise. It was because I really needed to use the bathroom, as soon as possible. I carefully unzipped my tent with my shovel in hand. The smoke smell had dissappeared and the three other tents were quiet. I quietly zipped my tent back up and walked about thirty feet away from the campsite. I dug a hole a few feet deep, did my business, and covered the hole back up. Then I realized that I was lost. I couldn't tell where I was. It was too dark for me to see, and I didn't know how long I was looking for my family. I walked deeper and deeper into the forest. Branches hit me and leaves crunched under my feet, and I admit, I was scared. I don't usually get scared, but I felt the darkness closing in on me like I was being watched. Like there was breathing on the back of my neck. Like something was lurking in the corner of my eye, and I didn't want to meet it. It had definitely been thirty minutes that I was wandering in the woods, and I was alert as ever. Wouldn't my family be looking for me by now? Looking at the moon, it was probably 1 AM. It was a full moon, and I felt like I was more so wandering away from my family than looking for them. Was I? Thirty minutes turned into an hour slowly. My breath was heavy, and surely, it had to have been noticed that I was missing by now. But nobody really cared that I was missing, did they? Maybe it was for the better. Ten minutes into that long hour, and I was beginning to wonder if I would ever find my way out. It grew darker, if that was even possible, and I was worried. There were surely other campers around, right? It grew into twenty more minutes that I was wondering, and I felt hopeless and lost. My phone was back at the campsite. How could I have been so stupid to not bring it? I felt so lost and alone, and it was about 2:30 AM now. Instead of growing lighter outside, it became darker quickly. It was so pitch black and the full moon stared at me hauntingly. I stared at the stars. The clear, shining stars. They were beautiful, and it was amazing how many suns were out there tonight. Ten minutes into 2:30, and I was still wandering the Epping Forest. I was very scared. Twigs snagged my clothes and leaves caught in my hair. Bugs attacked me violently as I stepped and swatted at them. I was so obsessed with the bugs that I didn't notice a hazy glow. Feelings of hope and joy overcame me excitedly. Hope, especially. I felt safe, rescued, and alive. Adrenaline took over me as I rushed toward the glow. As I came closer and closer to the glow, I smiled brighter and brighter, I pushed past leaves and branches, and I pushed past a final leaf-filled branch to reveal: A box. A freaking, blue box. I stared at the box as if to say, "You're kidding me, right?" But my survival instincts kicked in. It was the box or nothing. As I approached the box, I noticed a small sign. It read: '''POLICE TELEPHONE FREE FOR USE OF PUBLIC ADVICE & ASSISTANCE OBTAINABLE IMMEDIATLEY OFFICER & CARS RESPOND TO ALL CALLS PULL TO OPEN I circled the small box, dumbstruck. Didn't they stop using police boxes in London in the 1960s? It was cube shaped, a perfect blue color, and tall. It was small, but much larger compared to the modern red telephone boxes. What was it doing in the forest, and why was it there? If you ever need coppers in a forest, I guess. Which was kind of what I needed right now. Pull to open? Okay. I wrapped my hand around the warm metal door handle carefully. And I pulled to open. And screamed. Category:Time and Space Category:Time and Space Chapter